The present invention relates to an airbag and an airbag apparatus for protecting a passenger in case of collision of a vehicle or the like and, more specifically, to an airbag and an airbag apparatus including a left airbag section and a right airbag section to be inflated on a left side and a right side in front of the passenger, respectively.
As an airbag for protecting a passenger upon collision of the vehicle or the like, an airbag having a left airbag section and a right airbag section to be inflated on a left side and a right side in front of the passenger respectively by a common inflator is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-292239. In the airbag, the left airbag section and the right airbag section are connected to each other by a tie panel at distal end portions thereof.
The airbag is stored in a case in a folded state and is covered by a cover. When an inflator (gas generator) is activated and ejects gas upon collision of the vehicle, the airbag is inflated in front of the passenger while pushing and opening the cover.
The inflator is disposed inside or outside the airbag at a proximal side thereof. In the airbag apparatus having a structure in which the inflator is disposed outside the airbag at the proximal side thereof, gas ejected from the inflator is supplied into the airbag via a gas introduction port provided on the proximal side of the airbag.
When the inflator is disposed inside the airbag on the proximal side, the entire inflator may be disposed in the airbag or a part of the inflator may be disposed in the airbag. As an example of the latter case, a pair of slit-shaped openings is provided in the airbag, and the rod-shaped inflator is passed through the slit-shaped openings, so that both ends of the inflator project from the airbag.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-292239
In the airbag having the left airbag section and the right airbag section as disposed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-292239, when the left airbag section and the right airbag section in the inflated state have large capacities, it is necessary to employ an inflator having a large capacity in order to inflate the airbag quickly.
In the airbag disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-292239, the left airbag section and the right airbag section are connected to each other at the distal end portions thereof by the tie panel. Accordingly, a lateral center of a passenger body is received by the tie panel when the airbag is inflated.
In the airbag disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-292239, when the left airbag section and the right airbag section are inflated, gas from the inflator flows more in one of the airbags and hence inflation of the other airbag may be delayed in comparison with the one of the airbags.
In the airbag disposed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-292239, the left airbag section and the right airbag section are connected by the tie panel. Accordingly, even when inflation of one of the airbags is delayed, the airbag inflated earlier can pull the airbag which is delayed in inflation via the tie panel in the direction of inflation to promote inflation thereof. Since the tie panel connects the left airbag section and the right airbag section to each other at the distal end portions, the airbag which starts inflation earlier can not pull the airbag which is delayed in inflation sufficiently until the distal side thereof is inflated.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag and an airbag apparatus in which a left airbag section and a right airbag section are inflated sufficiently quickly even when a capacity of an inflator is relatively small, while interference with an A-pillar and the like when being inflated is prevented.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an airbag and an airbag apparatus in which a left chest portion of a passenger is received by an inflated left airbag section, a right chest portion thereof is received by a right airbag section, and a space of the inflated airbag is opposed to a lateral center of the passenger chest.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an airbag and an airbag apparatus in which a left airbag section and a right airbag section are inflated smoothly and evenly from an early stage of inflation.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.